Combined mail crane, catcher, and deliverer.



J.- W. PEPPLB. COMBINED MAIL CRANE, GATGHER, AND DBLIVERBR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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THE NORRIS P's-Tins 60-. WASHINGTON. D. :4

v J. W. PEPPLE. COMBINED MAIL CRANE, GATGHER, AND DELIVERBR.

-APPLIOATION TIL-PD JULY 2,190!!- Patented June 1, 1909.

2- SHEETS-SHBET 2.

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sTaiwATENT orator.

" JOHN w. PEPPLE, ornILLsBoRO, TEXAS- To all whomiit may concern:

'- in accordance with this invention.

COMBINED MAIL CRANE, OATCHER, AND DELIVERER.

ito. 923,200.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed July 2, 1968. Serial No. 441,596.

Be itknown that 1, JOHN W. PEPPLE, a citizen of the United I States, residing at Hillsboro, in the county'of Hill and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Mail Cranes, 'Gatcher's, and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

" Thisinvention relates to a combined mail view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to -which come within the scopeoffithe claims hereunto appended.

J In the drawings wherein like reference characters, denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:-Figure 1 is .a perspective View of a combined catcher and deliverer in accordance with this inventlon. Fig. 2 is, a top plan ofa mail crane Flg. 3

I g' is a perspective view showing a mail crane in accordance with this invention and the combined catcherand deliverer in the act of catchingand delivering mail. Fig. 4 is v a front elevation ofthe mail crane, and Fig.

' a swinging supporting arm 9.

is a top plan of the combined catcher d delive'ren; r r V Referring to the drawings in detail the combined catcher anddeliverer is referred to generally by the reference character 5 and comprisesa coupllng member 6 which is secured to the side 5 'of the mail car and the said coupling member is provided with two forwardly, extending apertured lugs 7 to whichis pivotally connected through the mediumof'the pintles 8 and cotter pins 8"? The latter is formed at its inner end with a pair of laterally extending. arms 9 having aperferred to.

tured ends 10 through which extend the pintles 8. The other end of the arm 9 is enlarged as at 11 and cut away so as to provide a pair of shoulders 12 which constitute stops. One side of the arm 9 carries a keeper 10 through which extends an elongated bar 13 which is capable of-sliding in a longitudinal direction with respect to the arm 9. The bar 13 is cylindrical a major portion of its length and has its outer end as at 13 secured to a bracket 11 and its inner end provided with a handle 14. The bracket 11 straddles the arm 9 and carries a yoke-shaped member formed of a body portion 14 which terminates at one side in an upwardly extending curvilinear resilient delivery supporting arm 16 and at its other side terminates in a depending curvilinear resilient supporting bar 17. The body portion llof the yoke-shaped member is secured to the bracket by suitable fastenings as shown. The bracket 11 is formed with a rearwardly extending inclined hook 15 which constitutes a catcher for a sack or pouch. Each of the arms 16 and 17 has a hook-shaped end 18 and an arrester lug 18, the function of which will be hereinafter re- The bar 18, bracket 11, hook 15 and yokeshaped member carried by the bracket constitutes what is termed a combined mail pouch catching and delivering means. The bar 13 is termed a shiftable carrier.

A means is provided for maintaining the supporting arm 9 the necessary distance when it is'swung from the car to deliver a sack 0r pouch so that the operations of catching and delivery will be properly performed. The said means consists of a coupling bracket 18 secured to the side '5 of the car and to which is pivotally connected as at 18 a lever arm 18 which is articulated as at 18 to a link 18, the latter being pivoted as at l8 to a bracket 18 secured-to the inner face of the arm 9. A handle 18 is attached to the lever 18 where by the said means can be conveniently extended to maintain the arm 9 in the desired position and contracted when it is desired to swing the bar toward the side of the car after the catching and delivering action.

The crane comprises a vertically extending post 19 having extending at right angles with respect thereto a pair of hangers ar ranged in vertical alinement with respect to each other, one end of each of these hangers being fixed to the post 19, the upper of the hangers projecting from the top of the post and the lower of the hangers being positioned at a point intermediate the ends of the post. The upper hanger comprises a body portion 20 which terminates in a pair of diverging arms which are indicated by the reference characters 20 and 20 'Each of the diverging arms is formed with a concaved end 20 and a stop 20 The lower hanger, is formed with a body portion 21 which terminates in a pair of diverging arms 21 and 21 The arm 21 has its outer terminus formed in a convex manner as at 21 and the arm 21 is constructed in a similar manner as at 21 Stops 21 depend from the lower face of the arms 21 and 21 The arm 20 is arranged in vertical alinement with respect to the arm 21 and a like arrangement is had in connection with the arm 20 with respect to the arm 21. The hangers are adapted to support the pouch or sack 22 and the stops 20 and 21 are adapted to prevent the rings 23 from sliding inwardly upon the converging arms. The terminus 20 of the arm 20 and the terminus 21 of the arm 21 are adapted to support the sack when the train is traveling in one direction and the terminus 20 of the arm 20 and the terminus 21 of the arm 21 are adapted to support the sack when the train is traveling in the opposite direction. Secured to the post l9at a point intermediate its ends and between the hangers is an inverted triangular shaped bracket 2t having a supporting ledge 24 upon which is adapted to rest a sectional angleshaped receiver and which comprises an inner horizontally extending arm 25 and an outer supporting arm 26 which extends at an inclination with respect to the arm 25. One end of the arm 26 is hinged to one end of the arm 25, the hinge being indicated by the reference character 27. The other end of the arm 26 is provided with a rearwardly extending inclined hook 28, the hook being somewhat curvilinear in contour. The arm 25 is pivotally connected as at 29 to the post 19 above the ledge 2 1 By setting up the receiver in the manner as stated, it can be shifted so as to extend from either side of the post 19, whereby provision is made for receiving the sack wit-h respect to the direction in which the train is traveling. Interposed between the arms 25 and 26 is a coiled spring 29, the function of which is to maintain the arm 26 away from the arm 25 and further to constitute a cushioning means when the receiver is taking up the sack or pouch. Steps and a platform 31 are provided to enable the mail pouch to be conveniently placed upon the crane and to remove that mail pouch which has been caught by the receiver.

The resilient arms 16 and 17 are adapted to support the pouch when it is desired to deliver the same to the receiver. The hookshaped ends 18 of the arms 16 and 17 are provided to prevent the pouch from accidentally slipping off or being removed from the arms during the act of delivery. These hooked ends, however, will not prevent the removal of the sack from the arms 16 and 17 when the sack comes in contact with the hook of the receiver, for the reason that the arms 16 and 17 are somewhat resilient and will readily give during the operation of stripping the pouch through the medium of the hook of the receiver. This is clearly shown in Fig. 3. Although the diverging arms of the hangers will cause the pouch to be maintained in the position shown in Fig. 3, that is to say supported by the crane, yet this element will not interfere with the removal of the pouch when it is engaged by the hook 15 of the combined deliverer and catcher. The shift bar 18 is provided to allow of the same being moved inwardly to facilitate the mounting of the pouch upon the arms 16 and 17 and to facilitate the re moval of the pouch when it is caught by the hook 15. The bar 13 can also be projected so as to position the pouch to be stripped by the hook of the receiver. If it be desired, however, the bar 18 can be dispensed with and the hook 15 and arms 16 and 17 secured to the outer end of the arm 9. As before stated, the receiver owing to the manner in which it is set up is reversible so as to provide for the receiving of the pouch in the direction in which the train is traveling. The bracket 24 is of sufiicient length so as to ofier the necessary support for the arm 25 when projecting from either side of the post 19.

lVhat I claim is 1. A mail pouch delivering and catching apparatus, comprising a swinging arm adapted to be secured to the mail car, a shiftable bar slidably mounted upon said arm, a pair of resilient mail pouch supporting arms fixed to said bar, and a laterally extending hook secured to the bar.

2. A mail pouch delivering and catching apparatus, comprising a swinging arm adapted to be secured to the mail car, a shiftable bar slidably mounted upon said arm, a pair of resilient mail pouch support ing arms fixed to said bar, and a laterally extending hook secured to the bar, combined with a receiver arm provided at one end with a hook, said hook adapted to be positioned in the path of the pouch carried by the supporting arms.

3. A mail pouch delivering and catching apparatus, comprising a swinging arm adapted to be secured to the mail car, a shiftable bar slidably mounted upon said arm, a pair of resilient mail pouch supporting arms fixed to said bar, a laterally eX- tending hook secured to the bar, and a stop for limitingthe movement in one direction of sa d shl'ttable bar.

apparatus, comprising adapted to be securedtoithe mail car, a

4:. Armail pouch delivering and catching swinging arm shittable bar slidably mounted upon said arm, apair of resilient mail pouch supportings arms fixed to said bar, a laterally extending hook secured to the bar, and a stop for lmntmg the movement of said shittable bar, combined withfa receiver arm havingably mounted upon said swinging arm, an I lnwardly extending hook carried by the I outer end of sald bar, and EtlJllI of resillent mail pouch supporting arms secured to the a outer end of said shittable bar.

A device of the character described comprising the combination of means for supporting a mail pouch,of means carried by the car for catching the pouch, said last mentioned means provided with pouch supports for delivering apouch from the car, and a, cushioned receiving and stripping means for the pouchupon those supports forming a part ofthemeans carried by the car.

r; A device of the character described comprising the combination of means for car, saidreceiving and stripping means supporting a mail pouch, of means carried by the car for catching thepouch, said last mentioned means provided with pouch supports for delivering a'pouch from the. car, and a cushioned receiving and stripping means for the pouch upon those supports forming a part of the means carried by the mounted upon the first mentioned means for supporting the mail pouch.

8. A device of the character described comprising the combination of means embodying two pairs of arms, the arms of each pair arranged in vertical alinement and adapted to support an pouch, of means carried a car for catching the pouch supported one pair otarms, sald last-mentioned means provided with pouch supports for delivering a pouch from the car, and a ,receivingand stripping means for the pouch carried by those supports forming a part of the means carried by the car.

,9. A device of the character described comprisingithe combination of means embodying two pairs of arms, the arms of each pair arranged. in vertical alinement and adapted to supportamail pouch, of means carried by a car for catching the pouch supported by one pair of arms, said last mentioned means provided with pouch supports for delivering a pouch from the car, and a reversible receiving and stripping means for the pouch carried by those supports forming a part of the means carried by the car.

10. A device of the cheacter described comprising the combination of means embodying two pairs of arms, the arms of each pair arranged in vertical alinement and adapted to support a mail pouch, of means carried by a car for catching the pouch supported by one pair of arms, said last-mentioned means provided with pouch supports for delivering a pouch from the car, and a cushioned receiving and stripping means for the pouch carried by those supports forming a part of the means carried by the car.

11. A device of the character described comprising the combination of means embodying two pairs of arms, the arms of each pair arranged in vertical alinement and adapted to support a mail pouch, of means carried by a car for catching the pouch sup ported by one pair of arms, said last mentioned means provided with pouch supports for delivering a pouch from the car, and a reversible cushioned receiving and stripping means for the pouch carried by those sup ports forming a part of the means carried by the car.

12. In a mail pouch delivering and receiving apparatus, in combination, an arm formed of two horizontally disposed sections hingedly connected at adjacent ends, cush ioning means interposed between said sections, one of said sections being movable on the hinge joint, and a mail pouch engaging and catching device on the free end of the movable section.

18. In a mail pouch delivering and re ceiving apparatus, in combination, an arm comprising a pivotally mounted section, a

section hinged to the end of the pivotally mounted section and movable on its hinge joint, the last named section carrying a mail pouch catching device, and means for sup porting the first named section in a horizontal position.

14-. In a mail pouch delivering and receiving apparatus, in combination, an arm formed of two horizontally disposed sections hingedly connected at adjacent ends, an expansive coil spring interposed between said sections, one of said sections being movable on the hinge oint and a mail pouch engaging and catching device on the free end of the movable section.

15. In a mail pouch delivering and re ceiving apparatus, in combination, a pivotally mounted arm movable on its pivot to either of two opposite horizontal positions, means for supporting said arm in either of said horizontal positions and a mail pouch catching device carried by said arm and 0p erative in either of the horizontal positions of said arm.

16. In a mail pouch delivering and receiving apparatus, in combination, a supporting arm carried upon the mail car and mounted to stand out horizontally therefrom, a bar associated with said arm and movable longitudinally thereof, mail pouch catching means carried by said bar and mail pouch holding means carried by said bar.

17. In a mail pouch delivering and receiving apparatus, in combination, mail pouch receiving means comprising a relatively stationary supporting member, a member carried by the stationary member, movable with respect thereto and provided with a mail pouch engaging device, and cushioning means interposed between said members to take up the shock incident to the engagement of a mail pouch with said device.

18. In a mail pouch delivering and receiving apparatus, in combination, a horizontally disposed arm carried by the car and having at one end thereof, a mail pouch holding means projecting in one direction and a mail pouch receiving means projecting in an opposite direction, and a member shiftable longitudinally of the arm and carrying both of said means.

19. In a mail pouch delivering and receiving apparatus, in combination, a crane having two mail pouch supporting means distant from one another and a member having mail pouch receiving means associated therewith and movable to operative positions in which the said mail pouch receiving means is adjacent either of said supporting means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. PEPPLE.

it-messes CHARLES G Swanrz, A. L. LOWNEY. 

